"Riley's not a guardian." Rhoan said. And though he didn't add it, the word "yet" seemed to hang in the air as he continued. "You can't expect to include her on a raid like this. It's too dangerous."
Jack glanced his way briefly. "She has senses and reflexes as sharp as yours. That alone gives her an advantage over most other races."
"A good olfactory sense and sharp reflexes aren't going to mean squat if she gets attacked again."
"I'm not stupid enough to send her in alone."
And still he continued to look at me, waiting for my answer. An answer he knew I had no choice but to give, because I wanted to see this finished as much as he did. After all, these bastards were continually coming after me, not him. That alone would have been reason enough to do this.
Even if it was one more step away from freedom, and the life I'd always dreamed of having.
"I'm in," I said, even as my stomach squirmed at the thought of going back to that place. "And I agree with Kade - we had better hurry."
A pleased smile touched the corners of Jack's mouth, but all he said was, "Rhoan, get Riley kitted out, then take her into the other room to catch some rest. Kade, you can stay here and give me an idea of the layout," He glanced at his watch. "We'll move at five - "
"But that's still two hours away," Kade interrupted. "We need to move ASAP."
"Unfortunately, we're restricted by the fact I'm a vampire. Some daylight I can stand, but not a whole lot."
Kade muttered something under his breath, then nodded. Rhoan cast a somewhat dark look Jack's way, then motioned me to follow him.
My gaze went to Quinn. His face was still very expressionless, and yet I had some sense of what he was feeling. Whether that was due to the link we'd formed between us - a link that was closed, and yet not - or whether it was simply wishful thinking, I have no idea Bur Quinn was no happier than Rhoan about my inclusion on this raid.
Well, tough. He'd lost any right to comment on the direction of my life when he'd turned his back on me that final time.
I followed Rhoan out the door and over to the black van. Overhead, the afternoon sky was clear and blue, and free of any soaring shapes. But the day was unnaturally still, free of the busy chatter of bird life usually found in the thick bush that surrounded the hotel. My gaze skimmed the trees circling the cabins, a prickle of unease running across my skin.
"Do you hear that?" I said, as Rhoan pulled open the van's side door.
"Hear what?" he said, looking at me.
"Exactly what I mean. It's unnaturally quiet."
"We are in the mountains, not the city." Even so, he had a look around and his gaze narrowed a little. "Maybe you'd better get inside while I look about."
"Given the things that have been tracking Kade and me, I think we're better off sticking together."
"Riley - "
"Don't 'Riley' me. You haven't seen the orsini. I have. Trust me, you do not want to come upon those beasties by yourself."
"What the hell are orsini?" He reached inside the van and handed me several small laser guns and a knife. My "kit," presumably.
"Weird-looking bearlike creatures with nasty claws and big teeth."
"Ah. Well, if you survived them, I think I might be able to."
"They wanted me alive, Rhoan." Or at least they had, before I'd actually managed to escape the main compound. "It's probably the only reason the orsini didn't actually kill me when I first escaped the cage."
Though their attempts at recapture, if that's what it had been, had felt bloody deadly.
"And you think those things are the reason for the sudden silence?"
"No. But it just doesn't feel right."
He strapped on his weapons, and slung a laser rifle over his shoulder. "Then let's go a-hunting."
I hesitated, ever so briefly. Rhoan smiled grimly. "Are you sure you're ready to do this?"